Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe

Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe – juicy turkey breast cooked in pressure cooker in just 35 minutes! The best way to save time preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

When I said, that the Instant Pot digital pressure cooker can change your life, I meant it. It’s been saving me time in the kitchen since I got it. But this Instant Pot Turkey Breast is a game-changer on a whole new level. I can cook a whole bone-in skin-on turkey breast in my pressure cooker in 1/3 of the time I would take me to roast it in the oven. I can bake side dishes in the oven in the meantime.

INSTANT POT TURKEY BREAST

The turkey comes out juicy and flavorful, the pan drippings are perfect to make the gravy and if the crispy skin is your favorite part, place the turkey breast under the broiler for a few minutes. I also have a recipe for a boneless turkey breast that cooks from frozen to juicy!

HOW TO COOK TURKEY BREAST IN INSTANT POT?

You won’t believe how easy it is to cook a turkey breast in the digital pressure cooker. I still can’t!

Add two cups of broth or stock to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Add sliced onion, garlic and celery.

Set the turkey breast side up in the trivet ( it came with your pressure cooker ) and brush it with herbed and spiced olive oil. It’s a simple mixture of oil, paprika, salt, pepper and poultry herb mix ( thyme, rosemary and sage ).

Place lid on the Instant Pot, set valve to sealing position. Press “manual” and set it the timer.

When the IP is done, let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey moist. Once the pressure pin is down, carefully open the lid away from your face. Check the temperature of the turkey in it’s thickest part, not touching the bone. It should be at least 165 degrees F.

Remove turkey from Instant Pot and broil for a crispy skin, if desired. For a low fat option, remove the skin and slice the meat.

Make gravy with liquid remaining in the Instant Pot.

HOW LONG DO YOU COOK TURKEY BREAST IN INSTANT POT?

My turkey breast weighs about 7 lbs and the 35 minutes was perfect. You should check the turkey with a digital thermometer once done to make sure the temperature is at minimum 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. This size of the turkey breast also fit perfectly in my 6 qt Instant Pot. After the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey juicy. If you do a quick pressure release, all of the juices will escape the meat. Set turkey on cutting board and let cool. Remove skin and slice the meat.

If the crispy skin is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving bird, place the cooked turkey breast on a baking pan or dish and set under the broiler for a few minutes. I set my broiler to 440 degrees F and watched the turkey the whole time.

HOW TO MAKE TURKEY GRAVY IN INSTANT POT?

To make the gravy, drain the pan drippings through a sieve to catch the onions and garlic. You can also press them through it to get all the flavor into the gravy. Measure out two cups of the liquid and place back in the Instant Pot insert. Add a mixture of 2 tablespoons or cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water and whisk well. Saute until thickens. You can use the rest of the liquid from cooking the turkey for soups later. I simply place it in ziploc bag once it completely cools. It’s a very flavorful broth and perfect for making soups during winter.

SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH TURKEY BREAST:

– mashed potatoes: If you are lucky and have two Instant Pots, I highly recommend making my IP Mashed Potatoes as a side dish. It’s the only way I cook them now. Perfect every time!

– green beans: my classic Green Bean Casserole made entirely from scratch yet still super easy and accidentally gluten free ( completely if you use GF fried onions ) is a must for a family holiday dinner.

– hashbrowns: this Hashbrown Casserole makes for a perfect side dish in place of mashed potatoes. It’s cheesy and creamy and everyone loves it!

– stuffing: my Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing is another time and work saver in the kitchen during the holidays. It’s perfect for this Instant Pot Turkey Breast!

HOW TO USE LEFTOVER TURKEY?

After cooking up the big feast, you won’t feel like spending much time in the kitchen on the following days. Save the turkey meat, dice it and use in my One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini recipe. It’s perfect to use the leftover turkey meat!

If you want to learn more about the Instant Pot, check out my Guide for Beginners! Also, if you experienced the “burn” message, check out my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn how to fix it and prevent it in the first place.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

Place lid on Instant Pot. Set valve the sealing. Press "manual", set timer to 35 minutes High Pressure.

When the IP beeps, press "cancel/off" and let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey juicy.

When pressure is released, open lid carefully, away from your face.

Using large fork, remove turkey from pressure cooker. Set on a cutting board, serving platter or if desired on a baking pan, to crisp up the skin in the oven. To do so: place cooked turkey breast in the oven under broiler set to 440 degrees F. Broil until skin is golden and crispy, watching the turkey the whole time. You may have to rotate the pan during broiling.

To make the gravy, drain the pan drippings through a sieve to catch the onions and garlic. You can also press them through it to get all the flavor into the gravy. Measure out two cups of the liquid and place back in the Instant Pot insert. Add a mixture of 2 tablespoons or cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water and whisk well. Saute until thickens.

Recipe Notes

The cook time does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.

My turkey breast weighs about 7 lbs and the 35 minutes was perfect. You should check the turkey with a digital thermometer once done to make sure the temperature is at minimum 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. This size of the turkey breast also fit perfectly in my 6 qt Instant Pot Duo60.

You can use the rest of the liquid from cooking the turkey for soups later. I simply place it in ziploc bag once it completely cools. It's a very flavorful broth and perfect for making soups during winter.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 918Calories from Fat 405

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 45g69%

Saturated Fat 11g55%

Cholesterol 343mg114%

Sodium 998mg42%

Potassium 1606mg46%

Total Carbohydrates 3g1%

Sugars 1g

Protein 117g234%

Vitamin A4.7%

Vitamin C9.5%

Calcium9.1%

Iron37.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use my link and make a purchase on Amazon, I will make a small commission, without any extra cost to you.

I have a 6.5 lb. turkey breast that is thawing in the fridge. I am going to use your recipe tomorrow in my 8 qt. Crock Pot Express Pot. I also have a 8.5 lb. turkey breast. I know the 6.5 lb. will fit but wondering if you think the 8.5 lb. would work in my 8 qt. pot.

I just made it and it is the best turkey breast I have ever eaten. It was so moist and flavorful. I usually don’t care for turkey breasts but this recipe won me over,. I will only make it this way from now on.

Amazing!’ I used a 5lb turkey because it was all I could find and cooked as directed for 32 minutes. This was my very first turkey and “the pressure was on” because my in-laws were coming for Christmas dinner. My in-laws LOVED it, and my husband went to bed talking about it! Thank you so much for this recipe! It will now be a staple on our home!

Hi Nancy! I am not familiar with Strata but if it’s a digital pressure cooker (not stove-top), the cooking times stay the same. I hope this helps! Let me know if there is anything else I can help with!

Five stars! I made this tonight and it came out great. The weight tag on my bird was torn off, so I wasn’t exactly sure of the weight. To be safe I cooked it for 38 minutes and did a 10 minute NR. I probably didn’t need quite that long, the internal temp was closer to 180 degrees. BUT! Boy was this bird delicious! I didn’t bother to broil. The meat was super tender and juicy. I used some fresh sage, rosemary, and dried thyme, plus tons of black pepper and garlic powder in addition to the other seasonings. I made more of the seasoning rub since I ran out on the first side of the bird. Also, I cooked mine breast-side down and stuffed the cavity with a head of garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. I stacked the bird on more veggies and didn’t bother with the trivet. Perfect result. Thanks for this super fast and easy recipe for a quick Thanksgiving dinner.

Wow! Great recipe. I had a 5.20 lb turkey breast. I cooked it for 28 minutes. Took forever to depressurize, but it was juicy and delicious. And the gravy was so good!! It made a small Thanksgiving dinner easy to prepare 🙂

I’ve never used fresh herbs. Can someone tell me how to prepare them? I found package in store but they are actual pieces of the herb. Do you take it off the wood? Do I crumble. I feel dumb but I have no clue

This sounds so tasty. My first time making dinner on thanksgiving. Weee but nervous. Old school cooks have made dinners previous. So, with that said, I’m feeding traditional people. Who want traditional turkey. Sooo would you say this flavoring and way of cooking will be approved by my guests?!? 😂 I’ve only used IP a handful of times and I’m not confident with times. I need to make sure this is DONE. I read turkey is 6 min per pound plus 10 min NPR. Which would be 55 total. Would that be way too long?

Hi! I’ve made many turkeys in the oven and the ones I’ve made in my Instant Pot are always the best. The turkey will be juicy and delicious. You can pop it under the broiler to get the skin crispy. In my experience, bone-in turkey breast needs 5 minutes per pound. The natural release takes about 12 minutes for me. Always check the temperature to make sure it’s at least 165 degrees F. I hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to email me anytime. I am always happy to help! Good luck! You got this!

I’m so excited to make this for Thanksgiving this year! I have an 8 lb bone in turkey breast. I am planning on cooking it for 40 minutes and doing a natural release. How long should I plan for the natural release to take? I’m just trying to plan accordingly! Thanks!

I am planning to make this turkey breast ( size 8.61 lbs.) this Thanksgiving. I have an 8 quart InstaPot . How many minutes should I set it for and how long will it take the pressure to release naturally? Thank you very much for your help. I am cooking this year for my new husbands family.

Hi Pamela! For that size turkey, I would set the timer to 43 minutes. Pressure release takes about 12 minutes for me. Check the temperature of the turkey after you open the IP. It should be 165 degrees F. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. Feel free to email me anytime. Good luck!

Hi Sonya! I recommend thawing the turkey breast. Frozen will take at least 50 minutes but I did not test this recipe using frozen bone-in breast so I can’t say for sure. I do have a boneless turkey breast recipe that was around 3lbs. It’s linked in my post!

Am I seeing correctly that it is OK to go above the max line? I have never gone above the max line but your turkey looks absolutely delicious and it seems to be above that line. Please let me know! Thank you!

The “above the max line” rule goes more for liquidy dishes, like soups, as well as beans, grains, rice. This recipe works, even if your turkey breast is above the max line in the insert. Let me know if you make it!

This is freaking amazing! Super moiste turkey and the gravy was even better than I expected! Thanks so much for this recipe! I love my IP even more now 😍 (Only change I made was butter instead of olive oil because we’re a butter family)

Made this tonight with a wild turkey breast. out great. When my husband dressed out the turkey he cut the breast in half, so mine was only 3.5# and I cooked it for 20 min. Turned out great. Was really moist, wuild turkey can be dry but this wasn’t. Will use this recipe again.

Hi, Thank you for this fantastic recipe!! I used a frozen 7lb bone in breast for mine. The breast was so big I couldn’t use the trivet 😊 I followed the recipe except the frozen part. I cooked mine for 40 minutes and it turned out PERFECT!!

Hi Anna… thank you for sharing your turkey recipe, I made it yesterday. I followed your recipe almost exactly… I didn’t have fresh herbs so I used dry, I let them soak in the olive oil for about 20 minuets before covering the breast. It came out wonderful! I did a 100% n/r, when I checked the internal temperature it was well over 200* but still moist and yummy. Normally I never cook just the breast but I wanted to try your recipe and something other than a pasta recipe in my IP… I would like to add a word of CAUTION: please be very careful when slicing and serving. Due to the process of removing the breast from the rest of the turkey, I’ve found numerous small-very small bone fragments!

The 5 mins per pound didn’t work for me, the turkey was slightly underdone. I’m new to the whole instant pot thing. I let the steam naturally escape and then checked the temp. What should I have done? Put it back on for 5 more mins? I was hesitant to because I know it takes a bit of time to rebuild up the steam. Any advice would be great as I’m thinking the same could happen with potatoes as well (check them after natural escape and them being underdone). Thanks so much.

Hi Alexa! I am so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. Anytime the food is underdone after cooking in the Instant Pot, it is recommended to set it back for a few minutes. It will have to build up pressure again so make sure there is enough liquid at the bottom. Potatoes are actually easy to be overdone unless you are making baked potatoes. I hope this helps!

Hi! I noticed a couple people asked similar questions as the one I have back in January and last November so I’m wondering if, since then, anyone has made this recipe with a boneless frozen turkey breast and if so did you need to make any adjustments on cooking time?? Thanks in advance!

I don’t often review recipes, but this time I felt compelled to do so. This recipe was FANTASTIC. I followed the directions pretty much to a T, and the turkey was, by far, the best I’ve ever eaten… juicy and flavorful. The gravy was out of this world. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this great recipe! I can’t wait to make it again.

I thought this was a great recipe, and will use again! I had a 9 lb. bone-in turkey breast, so I cooked it 50 minutes. I think I could have knocked that down by about 5 minutes – it was plenty done and a tad dry, but the flavor was awesome. Made a gravy from the broth and used arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, since I’m on an anti-inflammatory diet right now and can’t have corn. Thanks!

This was my first attempt using an IP. My turkey breast was about 7.25 lbs.. I followed the recipe as is and this came out so delicious! I cooked it 40 minutes instead of 35 since my turkey breast with a slight bit larger. I put under the broiler to brown the skin a little more for about five minutes. The turkey breast came out perfect, very moist just the right mix of seasonings! I would definitely make this one again

Stacy, I have a 3lb fresh turkey breast that I am planning on 10 minutes max in my IP. Anna had a 7lb turkey that cooked at 35 minutes – this equals 5 minutes per lb. I am cooking mine a little less than 10 min cause it’s easier to add cooking time and avoid a dry turkey. Hope it works!!!

Did you cook the turkey you mentioned in your comment? If so, what did you do and how did it work. Thanks

Hi Tom! First of all, I am so sorry your family is having the flu. It’s awful this year! Second, thank you so much for making my recipe and for the comment. I am so happy to know you love it! I hope your family feels better soon!

Hi Erica! I did not test this recipe with frozen turkey breast but from my research it seems as it will just take longer to come to pressure and the cooking time should be the same. Always check with meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked through. Sorry if this is no help! Thank you for the question!

How do you adjust times for smaller turkey breast? Or another way to ask, how many minutes per pound? Mine was small, only 2.33 pounds. (I was making it just to have some turkey for a recipe) and went 22 minutes but was really done much sooner. thank you, Pressure cookers are wonderful.

A million thanks. 5stars. I’m a single guy and not a gourmet cook. I was on my own this holiday season and decided to give your recipe a try. I cooked a 7lb bone in turkey breast in the instant pot, made gravy like you suggested on the sauté setting and used your Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots recipes for side dishes. I added homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing (from a box, sorry) and cranberry sauce. The dinner was outstanding. The instructions are on the money and if I can do it anyone can. 35 minutes cook time; internal temp was about 170 degrees. I did put it in the oven for just a short time to brown it up. Excellent recipes. Thanks again.

Hi Richard! Wow! I am so happy to know you love the recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try and my other two recipes too. That’s wonderful! Also, we love stuffing from a box so no judgment here! 😀 Thank you so much for the comment!

The time it takes to build is related to the temperature, and mass of what’s in the pot. The time it takes to release is also related to what’s in the pot. More would hold more heat, so it would take longer to cool down. I cook artichokes, really big artichokes, and after trial and error, I came up with 60 minutes on steam. The cool down was speed up by releasing the pressure from the valve on the pot. That would not be suggested for cooking meat, where you would want the pressure to release slowly.

What a dream! Total prep and cooking time from the moment I put the breast in the pot until the pressure pin dropped was 1-1/2 hours (the 35 minute cooking time on pressure was perfect!)…which means you could be carving and serving this bird within 2 hours! I removed the skin, but the breast meat was moist and flavorful. And, the gravy was delicious. This recipe will make it possible to serve turkey on more than just holidays and special occasions. A keeper, for sure! Thanks for posting!

No, the pot will not start the timer until it reaches the proper pressure. The pressure comes from heating the pot. At first you will hear the steam escape as the pot heats. Once the pot gets hot enough, the pressure will close the valve, then start the timer. This is the process for pressure cooking, the non-pressure modes are what set the Instant Pot apart from conventional pressure cookers.

Hi Tricia! I am not sure as I didn’t try this recipe with boneless turkey breast. I would be guessing here by saying that it will probably come to pressure faster and I would still set the timer to 30 minutes. I hope this helps! Let us all know how it goes! Happy holidays!